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Japanese watch brands continue to surprise me. While there’s all the surface level brands we know and love like Grand Seiko, Citizen and the independents like Hajime Asaoka, the concept of Japanese microbrands is a lot less publicised. However, there’s a rich depth to Japanese micros that warrants close inspection. Which leads me to the subject of this article, the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-002 field watch.

The story of Kuoe is familiar to many microbrands. Kenji Uchimura was studying language at university in London and while in the city entered one of the many antique watch shops in the area. He instantly fell in love with classic watch design, especially from the early and mid-20^th century. Upon returning to Kyoto in Japan he began working for a watch brand before taking the plunge in 2020 of creating his own brand that focusses on the style of design he first fell in love with in London.

That fusion of British and Japanese influences is immediately apparent as soon as you open the box containing the Old Smith 90-002. Despite the name Kuoe Kyoto on the dial, it feels like you might as well be holding a vintage trench watch from the first world war, the earlier classic form of field watch that would later be adapted in the 1940s into the Dirty Dozen commissioned by the MOD.

In front of me I actually have three distinct versions of the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-002. There’s the 35mm steel edition, 38mm steel edition and 38mm bronze edition. Both of the steel versions have ivory coloured dials with applied Arabic numerals and a railway track minute scale. It’s super legible thanks to the high contrast with the black indices. I also really like the neo-vintage style with the off-white dial and beige lume that makes it look like a white watch discoloured by age.

The 35mm is a touch small for my taste though fits the vintage, classical inspiration behind the collection. Strapping on the slightly larger 38mm though and I’m instantly in love. It feels very slim with polished flanks and a matching polished bezel, sitting flat to the wrist with nicely curving lugs. The 35mm version’s case is actually a bit different as its bezel-less with a domed glass.

Swapping over to the bronze edition and sure enough, the case is made from CuSn8, one of the most common bronze alloys in watchmaking. In its clean state it looks very handsome though of course it will develop a patina over time, creating that vintage appearance a lot faster than steel. Luckily it has a steel caseback to avoid the issues of bronze discolouring skin that can happen.

The dial has also been changed to suit the brown metallic case. It’s now a chocolaty shade of brown itself with white Arabic numerals, though it retains the beige neo-vintage looking lumed elements. The slightly grained texture is also much more apparent here than on the ivory of the steel editions.

As for strap options, there are many to choose from. The standard is a single piece ribbed nylon strap that threads through the lug bars similar in style to a NATO without the extra NATO style pocket that attaches the strap to the watch. I’d personally swap it for a fully fledged NATO if you want to go down that route, though it does come in some nice brown, black and striped colour options. Alternatively, it’s presented on a leather strap which is far nicer. As the Old Smith 90-002 has that pre-Dirty Dozen military vibe, a leather strap feels the more thematically appropriate and it works really well on both the steel and bronze models.

Powering all three models is the Seiko NH38 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserves. It’s a very solid Japanese movement widely used by microbrands (and some not so micro brand) across the world, not just in Japan. It’s also nice and accessible resulting in prices of £505 for the steel models at both sizes and £535 for bronze.

My biggest takeaway from spending time with these watches is they seem really well built. The screw down crown is nice and tactile, as well as easy to use. Plus, it contributes to the solid 100m water resistance rating, which is about standard for a field watch – safe from puddles but not meant for ocean exploration. For the price, I really don’t see anything you could possibly dislike. Just as Kuoe Kyoto set out to achieve, it’s a very classical watch that makes good use of Japan’s continually grown horology scene.

More details at Kuoe.

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Titanium has had a bit of an ugly duckling style story in the watch industry. When the material started to first see consistent use, a lot of collector sentiment at the time was that the material feels cheap compared to steel due to its extreme lightweight properties. Today though, titanium has become so widely used that collectors are familiar with how it feels on the wrist and the quality of life it brings in terms of comfort and wearability, especially in the realm of large tool watches. Watches like the Alpina Alpiner Extreme, which is now available in a new Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium edition, the brand’s first ever full titanium wristwatch.

It’s almost surprising that Alpina haven’t created a full titanium watch in the past due to their commitment to versatile everyday beaters and robust outdoor watches. But they’ve finally taken the plunge and the Extreme is the perfect collection with which to do so. Its 39mm x 40.5mm cushion case with wide, flat, circular bezel featuring exposed screws suits titanium down to a tee. Building on the bold, quasi-industrial aesthetic of the model by employing a material that first made a name for itself in cutting edge industries like aeronautics.

The case is specifically made from Grade 2 titanium, which is the slightly more common and more accessible alloy. The other grade you often see in watchmaking is Grade 5, which is a bit harder meaning it can take more styles of finishing, which is why you see it more often from high end brands who want to get fancy with it. For the Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium though a bit of brushing on the flat surfaces and a bit of polishing on the bevelled edges is all you need to make it look great.

Naturally, as a full titanium watch with an integrated bracelet, that bracelet is made from titanium too. It’s a nice H link number with a folding clasp and push button release. Like the case it’s finished with vertical brushing.

Aside from the case and bracelet, the other key element of the Extreme is the dial and for this new edition they’ve stayed true to the signature design of the model. That means a tessellating pattern of triangles like the Alpina logo. It follows in the tradition of patterned, textured dials on integrated bracelet sports watches that’s most commonly associated with the legacy of designers like Gerald Genta, the man behind icons like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

Below the surface is the AL-525 calibre, which the Alpina variation of the Sellita SW200-1 with a custom rotor. It’s still based on the slightly older model with 38-hour power reserve and as I say every time, I can’t wait for brands to run out of those old stock movements and move on to the modern upgraded version. It’s just the inevitable industry lag that comes from bulk buying movements, something that’s often unavoidable due to manufacture minimum order requirements.

The Alpina Alpiner Extreme Automatic Titanium is priced at £2,195, making it a solid, mid-range wristwatch. If you want to get hands on with some of Alpina’s watches, I have some fantastic news for you. You can at Hands On Horology this June at London’s Protein Studios, tickets available now.

More details at Alpina.

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Following the March release in Asia of the analog-digital Pro Trek PRW-61LD-3 (casio.com) with a phosphorescent dial, Casio has applied the same concept to a digital LCD display with the Pro Trek PRW-35 compact climber line. The PRW-35LD-5 and PRW-35TLD-7 are the first Casio watches with a glow-in-the-dark LCD display. The phosphorescent LCD display of […]

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Seiko’s Presage collection is undergoing a massive update at the moment with new additions to the Style 60s series that we’ve already looked at as well as today new additions to the Classic Series and Cocktail Time. As 36mm and 34mm models respectively, they do lean more towards being ladies watches but they’re still cool additions to the range. Plus I think the pun in the name of the Cocktail Time ‘Frozen Cocktails’ makes them worthy of being discussed on that merit alone.

Seiko Presage Classic Series Edo Silk

There are three new watches in the Seiko Presage Classic Series, each named after and inspired by a popular colour shades from the Edo period in Japan with silk texture dials. They are the ‘Aijiro’ pale cyan, ‘Fushi-iro’ light brown and ‘Shiro-iro’ white. Each of the watches feature 36mm cases with classy round shapes, large knurled crowns and sweeping lugs that lead into a seven-link bracelet inspired by the 1970s. The Shiro-iro edition also features and an extra gold PVD coating over the steel to emphasise the luxurious nature of silk.

While the watches are fairly small (though larger than the second set of watches we are about to look at) don’t mistake them for being toys or cheap quartz. They’re powered by the 6R51 calibre, which is part of Seiko’s high spec 6R range of movements as evidenced by the excellent 72-hour power reserve. They’re also great value as despite housing a 6R movement they remain sub-£1,000 at £900.

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time ‘Frozen Cocktails’

In the introduction I mentioned that the name of the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time ‘Frozen Cocktails’ is a pun, so I should now explain it. These 34mm watches have diamonds set into their indices in the four cardinal positions. Another term for diamonds is ice, therefore these are Cocktail Time watches that have been iced, therefore they are ‘Frozen Cocktails’. Badum-Tish. That’s pretty much the entire reason I wanted to talk about this launch.

They are actually very nice ladies watches for all that though. They’re each inspired by a popular cocktail as is the tradition of the collection. So we have the ‘Frozen Skydiving’, ‘Frozen Mojito’, and the ‘Frozen Daiquiri’ in blue, green and yellow-gold with a frosted texture on the dials. The Daiquiri doubles down on the luxury of the diamond indexes with a bi-colour case construction.

Powering them is the 4R35 automatic, making them a touch more accessible than the Classic Series above. Which makes sense because the Cocktail Time has always been the entry-level model in the Presage range. The Skydiving and Mojito are £500 and the Daiquiri is £540.

More details at Seiko Boutique.

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To my mind, Certina are at their best when they’re creating high quality adventure watches at enviably accessible prices like the DS Super. However, it’s important to remember that they’re about more than tool watches, as we were recently reminded in dramatic fashion with the launch of the DS Cascadur. Now they’re expanding another of their core, non-tool watch models – the DS-1 Big Date, which is now available in a duo of matte PVD finishes.

They measure 41mm in diameter in steel with either a black or golden PVD coating. The matte finish means they don’t have the sharp reflection of a polished surface, which is particularly noticeable in the case of the gold edition. It tones down the brilliance so that the watch doesn’t appear over-the-top and ostentatious. Though paired with a blue sunray brushed dial, it still stands out as a bright and eye-catching dress watch – reminiscent of the Omega De Ville Trésor.

In comparison, the matte black version fits the stealth wealth aesthetic with its slick, urban design and matching black dial. It’s accented by silver coloured hour markers and matching dauphine hands. Those aspects, along with the signature big date complication at 6 o’clock help maintain the watch’s smart appearance, preventing it from feeling too sporty.

A big date function does what it says on the tin. It’s an oversize date display that uses two discs to show the current date rather than the normal one. One disc handles the tens and the other handles the units. While a lot of brands have their own interpretations of the big date, in my heart I always associate with A. Lange & Söhne and watches like the recent Minute Repeater Perpetual. In fact, the black and silver colour scheme of the Certina DS-1 Big Date could almost be considered an extremely budget friendly alternative for anyone priced out of the Saxon legend. Assuming you don’t mind giving up the minute repeater and perpetual calendar. Certina don’t have any of those.

What Certina do have is the ETA Powermatic 80.651 automatic movement with its 80-hour power reserve. It’s a staple of the Swatch group, offering great value across a host of brands from Hamilton to Swatch. The shock resistant properties of the movement forms one part of the Double Security system that gives the collection its DS name. The other part of that double act being the water resistance rating of 100m. It’s no dive watch but it’s durable enough for everyday adventures.

As for price, the black edition of the Certina DS-1 Big Date is £835 and the blue and gold is £805. That difference is due to the black being presented on a bracelet and the blue on a leather strap. It’s not a watch designed to rock the boat, in fact it’s extremely safe. But just like your mum’s cooking, sometimes you just want comfort food that you know is going to be reliable and this ticks that box.

More details at Certina.

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It’s a story I’ve told a hundred times at this point: when Lewis Hamilton moved to Ferrari at the end of the last F1 season, one of the biggest questions was who will become the new poster boy for IWC’s Mercedes collaborations. The answer so far is not George Russell. However, he has taken things into his own hands by commissioning a custom version of the new IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 Black Ceramic with a blue dial inspired by his Mercedes-AMG Petronas helmet.

Russell has showcased his new personal timepiece in a series of photographs, credited to himself, posing around the Mercedes-AMG ONE hyper car. The watch itself was designed by him as well in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, a British brand known for their celebrity watch customisations. It’s actually a little ironic that their work here has been to add a blue dial to a black watch as they made their name blacking out virtually every watch they can (or adding their own signature blue which is different to this one).

It’s actually a little sad that Russell’s IWC Ingenieur Ceramic with Mercedes-AMG Petronas style dial is a bespoke creation because it’s cool to see the collection sporting a more colourful design. So far, the Ingenieur is quite a serious collection full of traditional colours like blue, black, white, with the most daring option being an admittedly unusual mid-tone green. A vibrant turquoise makes for quite the spectacle by comparison, especially with the contrast of the ceramic 42mm case.

The customisation is purely aesthetic, and the watch retains its 82210 automatic calibre with Pellaton winding system and 60-hour power reserve. As a bespoke project there are no official plans for an IWC release like this, though if it proves popular with collectors I don’t see why there can’t be an Ingenieur Mercedes-AMG Petronas edition in future. In a similar vein to the initially exclusive Tudor Inter Miami spawning an entire colourful chronograph collection.

More details at IWC.

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2025 marks the 70^th anniversary of the Corum watch brand, and they’re celebrating in a somewhat unconventional manner. Rather than releasing a special edition or new collection, they’ve had a change of ownership. Since 2013 they have been owned by Hong Kong based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited but as of now they have been bought out and Corum is returning to Swiss ownership.

Specifically, the buyout was orchestrated by the former Sales Director Haso Mehmedovic, who now takes the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board. Mehmedovic is perfectly positioned to oversee the transition, having worked for the brand for 15 years after initially joining as a watchmaker. His passion and focus has always been on the watches themselves and now he has even greater control with management and the manufacture now more closely aligned in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In the short term there won’t be any dramatic changes however the brand has retained all of its patents, intellectual property and archives, creating a strong base from which to move forward. The reasons for the change are described as boosting the brand’s creative freedom to explore their identity within the industry. Something which has been much needed after years lost in the woods, spinning their wheels and really not doing much of anything despite having some arguably really strong creations in their stable. Their niche of producing high end watches with Avante Garde designs as epitomised by classic collections like the Golden Bridge, Bubble, Admiral and Coin should be a strong one. Hopefully the return to Switzerland will be just the shot in the arm they need.

Moving forward, the brand intends to host a relaunch in mid-2026, which will presumably indicate the new direction they plan to pursue. So far 2025 has been a great year for relaunches and new directions with other brands like Galet and Favre-Leuba coming closer and closer to relaunch too. It’s an exciting time for heritage brands reinventing themselves for the modern world. In Mehmedovic’s own words:

“We have a tremendous opportunity ahead: to restore Corum’s rightful place in Swiss watchmaking. I know this company inside and out, its strengths and its untapped potential. Corum was the very first brand I applied to after graduating in 2011 — and I never looked back. I grew up with this company and went through every high and low with the teams. Today, we’re putting bold creativity and innovation back at center stage, and building on Corum’s unique DNA. We will be reinforcing our distribution, consolidating key markets, opening new horizons — and above all, bringing Corum back into the spotlight for collectors and enthusiasts around the world.”

More details at Corum.

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California-inspired lifestyle boutique Ron Herman is a frequent collaborator with G-Shock in Japan and is known for its understated surf-themed watches. This year’s collaboration marks its first G-Shock GA-2100 and is also its first non-G-LIDE release. The gray analog-digital watch has a black and white dial with a Rob Herman logo printed below the G-Shock […]

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Seiko are continuing to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of their first ever dive watch by launching a second edition of the Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60^th Anniversary model. The new interpretation offers a much more pared-back look at the multi-time zone diver, featuring a white and blue colour scheme with a smooth dial. Plus, it’s not a limited edition like the previous version.

The case measures 42mm x 13.3mm with a 300m water resistance rating. The wide lugs and angular facets along the edge of the arcing shape are inspired by a Seiko dive watch from 1968, the brand’s first diver to achieve a 300m rating. In more recent years 200m has been the standard for the Japanese brand but since early 2024 they’ve steadily been reintroducing the deeper depth rating, putting the ‘professional’ back in Prospex.

It’s a very clean watch with a pristine white dial and aquatic blue ceramic bezel. Adding a splash of colour are the red accents on the seconds hand, 24-hour GMT hand and the GMT inscription below the central handstack. I’m quite torn because I do really like the textured wave pattern of the first 60^th Anniversary watch but a plain, almost sterile dial like this fits with the traditional design philosophy of dive watches better – putting legibility and clarity above all else. The colour scheme also reminds me of other sporty divers like the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup.

Beneath the surface of the dial is the 6R54 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve and a daily accuracy of -15/+25 seconds. With that weekend proof power reserve, it’s one of Seiko’s higher spec movements. Plus, it’s equipped with the additional GMT function as well as a date for extra utility while travelling. That makes it not just a viable dive watch, but a versatile daily wearer as well.

Unlike the original 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60^th Anniversary, this edition is not limited, meaning anyone who wants one will be able to procure one. It shares the same price at £1,600, putting it in the mid-range of Prospex prices. On the whole I prefer that limited edition from earlier this year but there are merits to this version as well. Seiko doing as Seiko does, they’re offering a great variety of styles and designs at prices that see them quickly snapped up.

More details at Seiko.

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Raúl Pagès is the hot independent watchmaker of the moment, winning the 2024 Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives and having recently released his new RP2 to rave reviews. However, priced at CHF 89,000 his watches are not exactly accessible. Enter Massena LAB who have collaborated with him multiple times to bring his designs to the masses (at least before they sell out) in a manner that won’t break the bank. Following the Absinthe last year, the two have launched another collaboration for 2025 in the form of the new Massena LAB x Raúl Pagès Noctograph.

The Noctograph pays a lot of tributes to the aforementioned RP2 but instead of being close to 100k, it’s priced at $8,875 (approx. £6,620). The most obvious nod is that like the RP2, the Noctograph is a three-hand, time-only watch with central hours and minutes and then a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Although, the Noctograph’s subdial is much more Art Deco in style rather than minimalist thanks to a railway seconds track and a high shine sunray brushed finish.

In terms of colour, the central disc of the dial is a rich, royal blue with a vertical brush that sweeps across the display. In the bottom right of that blue dial, at 4 o’clock, you can see the ghost engraving of Massena LAB’s logo, a reference to the same positioning of Pagès’ ghost logo on the RP2. It’s contained within a rhodium plated minute scale that again leans into that Art Deco influence. Interestingly Art Deco is normally associated with the 1920s and 30s but Massena LAB actually cite the 50s as being their lead influence, especially when it comes to the circular lines of the 38.5mm case.

Beneath that display is the M660 manual winding movement. It’s produced by Massena LAB but was designed and developed by Raúl Pagès. It has a 4Hz frequency and 60-hour power reserve, which are solid specs. What really captures the attention though is the finishing, with prominent Côtes de Genève across the mainplate and perlage visible below the open balance spring.

The name Noctograph means a device designed for measuring night, which serves a double meaning here. Firstly, it’s a reference to the blue dial, which shifts through multiple tones as the light plays across it thanks to the finishing, one of the most prominent of which being a midnight blue tone. Secondly, as a refined dress watch it will count the hours of your late-night soirées in impeccable style.

I’ve been a fan of Massena LAB for a while (I recently added one to my collection) and while the Noctograph isn’t my favourite, I do still like the effortless elegance it carries itself with. Plus, at $8,875 (approx. £6,620), it’s one of the few ways a regular collector might actually get their hands on some of Raúl Pagès’ work. Limited to 99 pieces.

More details at Massena LAB.

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